February 16, 2016
The Honorable Keith Ellison
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Ellison and Congresswoman DeLauro:
On behalf of over 300 national, state, and local organizations, we are writing to thank you for your leadership in introducing
the Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2015 (H.R. 4055).
Nearly half of infants and toddlers in the U.S. are living in low-income families. This means that over 5 million young children
are living in families that have a hard time covering the cost of their family’s basic needs, including diapers for their young
children. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in 2014 the poorest 20 percent of families spend 14
percent of their income on diapers. The National Diaper Bank Network estimates that overall, 1 in 3 families struggle with
diaper need.
Lack of clean diapers can affect the physical well-being of young children, as well as cause considerable stress for parents and
guardians. According to a Yale School of Medicine study, diaper need is a stronger predictor of depression and anxiety among
mothers than food insecurity.
Diaper need can also prohibit parents from accessing child care, since many child care providers require parents to provide
clean diapers for their children. Parents and guardians who lack access to child care for their young children struggle to
maintain employment and provide for their family.
The Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act would address diaper need in the U.S. by creating a
demonstration program for distributing diapers to eligible families. States will have flexibility in developing and implementing
their program. These demonstrations will reveal the best ways to help eligible families access diapers for their young children.
We are grateful for your leadership in making children and families a legislative priority. We look forward to working with you
to move this important policy forward.
Sincerely,
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION
9to5, National Association of Working Women
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Academy of Nursing
The American Orthopsychiatric Association
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Backline
Children’s Advocacy Institute
Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s HealthWatch
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for
Exceptional Children (DEC)
A Father’s Walk
Feeding America
First Focus Campaign for Children
IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
Healthy Teen Network
HEAL-ONLINE.ORG
HEAR US Inc.
Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters
MomsRising.org
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd
National Association for the Counsel of Children
National Association for the Education of Homeless
Children and Youth
National Association of State Mental Health Program
Directors
National Crittenton Foundation
National Diaper Bank Network
National Health Law Program
National Network for Youth
National Women’s Law Center
Nurse Family Partnership
National WIC Association
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Provincial Council of the Clerics of St. Viator (Viatorians)
RESULTS
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
SisterSong: National Women of Color Reproductive
Justice Collective
Tourette Association of America
Treatment Communities of America
USAction
ZERO TO THREE
STATE, TERRITORY AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
ALABAMA
Rocky Mountain Diaper Depot
WeeCycle
The Second Beginning
ARIZONA
CONNECTICUT
Association for Supportive Child Care
Catalina Magnet High School
Community Action Human Resources Agency
Dorothy Wellington Ministries
Friends of Robles Ranch
The Collaborative Center for Justice
IRIS – Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services
Jewish Community Relations Council of New Haven
Middlesex Coalition for Children
New Milford Social Services
ARKANSAS
DELAWARE
Crawford County Parents as Teachers
Earthbound Angels Inc.
United Way of Garland County
Delaware Ecumenical Council on Children and Families
CALIFORNIA
Children’s National Health System
Alameda County Community Food Bank
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
California Children’s Hospital Association
Children’s Defense Fund – California
Children Now
Clinica Sierra Vista
Fair Trade LA
Gladstone Institutes
Healthy Cities Tutoring
Hunger Action Los Angeles
Inland Valley Hope Partners
Kids in Common, a program of Planned Parenthood Mar
Monte
Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center
Maternal Mental Health NOW
Rebekah Children’s Services
FLORIDA
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Baby Basics of Collier County
Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc.
Healthy Start Coalition of Orange County
Here We Grow Foundation, Inc.
GEORGIA
DEW Consultants, Inc.
HOSEA HELPS
Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, Inc.
Step Up Savannah, Inc.
HAWAII
University of Hawaii Bridge to Hope
COLORADO
IDAHO
Almost Home, Inc.
Colorado Children’s Campaign
Colorado Fiscal Institute
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and
Reproductive Rights (COLOR)
The Consortium
Posada
Idaho Diaper Bank
ILLINOIS
Bundled Blessings Diaper Pantry
C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation
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The Children’s Center of Cicero-Berwyn
Diaper Bank of Northern Illinois
EverThrive Illinois
Healthy Families Chicago
Hesed House, Inc.
ICG Rehabilitation Services
Kenwood United Church of Christ
Legal Council for Health Justice
Metropolitan Family Services
New Moms
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
SWADDLE – Southwest Area Diaper Depository for
Little Ends
Servant’s Heart Food Pantry
Starks Food Cupboard
Stone Soup Food Pantry
United Way of Mid Coast Maine
Winthrop Food Pantry
MARYLAND
Abilities Network
Advocates for Children and Youth
Concerned Citizen and Pastor
Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation
Maryland United for Peace and Justice
PeterCares House
INDIANA
MASSACHUSETTS
Catholic Charities – Diocese of Gary, Inc.
Family Voices Indiana
Food Bank of Northern Indiana
Stepping Stone Shelter for Women, Inc.
IOWA
Council Bluffs Community School District
Food Bank of Siouxland
Southwest Iowa Families, Inc.
United Ways of Iowa
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.
American Friends Service Committee
Baby Basics, Inc.
First Baptist Church
Grove Hall Child Development Center
Interfaith Social Services
Social Action Committee, First Parish in Plymouth
Wellesley College Child Study Center
Wellesley College Education Department
MICHIGAN
KANSAS
Junior League of Wichita
Kids Need To Eat, Inc.
KENTUCKY
Homeless & Housing Coalition of Kentucky
Kentucky Equal Justice Center
Kentucky Youth Advocates
Saint Bernadette Diaper Bank
Sisters of Notre Dame, Covington Province
Catholic Charities West Michigan (God’s Kitchen)
The Diaper Alliance
Leelanau Children’s Center
Michigan League for Public Policy
NorthWest Initiative
MINNESOTA
Children’s Defense Fund – Minnesota
The Diaper Drive
MISSOURI
LOUISIANA
Junior League of New Orleans
United Way of Northwest Louisiana
United Way Southeast Louisiana Public Policy Committee
MAINE
Augusta Food Bank
The Bingham Program
The Diaper Fund
Good Shepherd Food Bank
Grace Interfaith Food Table
Help Yourself Shelf
Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods
Association for Persons with Disabilities
Christos House
Diaper Bank of the Ozarks
The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri
God’s Will in Action
HappyBottoms
Howell County Health Department
Lutheran Family & Children’s Services of Missouri
Maternal, Child and Family Health Coalition
Ozark Area Community Action Corporation
Ozark Independent Living
Parents as Teachers
Sedalia Pettis County United Way
Vision for Children at Risk
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MONTANA
United Way of Northern Chautauqua County
Montana Food Bank Network
Parents, Let’s Unite for Kids (PLUK)
NORTH CAROLINA
NEBRASKA
Food Bank for the Heartland
NEVADA
Action Pathways, Inc.
Diaper Bank of North Carolina
Every Woman Southeast Coalition
Rockingham County Partnership for Children
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina
United Way of Greater Greensboro
Who Needs a Change of the High Country
Baby’s Bounty
NORTH DAKOTA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Souris Valley United Way
New Hampshire Pediatric Society
OHIO
NEW JERSEY
Anshe Emeth Community Development Corporation, Inc.
Central Jersey Family Health Consortium
Child & Family Resources
Displaced Homemakers Network of New Jersey, Inc.
Lida Knaus Food Pantry
Millhill Child and Family Development
The Village Learning Center
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Voices for Children
NEW YORK
American Academy of Pediatrics, NY State
American Association of University Women of New York
State
Baby Buggy
Child Care Resources of Rockland, Inc.
The Children’s Agenda
Children’s Aid Society
Church Women United in New York State
Claire Heureuse Community Center Inc.
Community Food Advocates
Community Service Center of Greater Williamsburg
Every Child Matters Coalition of Chemung County, NY
Fox House
Jesus is the Answer
League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County NY
Maternal and Infant Community Health Collaborative
National Alliance on Mental Illness Huntington
Oxford Family Group Day Care
Saint Catherine’s Center
Saint John’s Outreach
Saint Satherins
Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of Binghamton
Ashtabula County Community Action Agency
Community Action Agency Head Start Program
The Cuyahoga County Diaper Bank
Family and Youth Law Center at Capital University Law
School
Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency Help Me Grow
Gem City Gives, The Diaper Bank of Greater Dayton
Hannah’s Treasure Chest
Healthy Fathering Collaborative
Making Kids Count, Inc.
Meigs County General Health District
New Madison UMC
Ohio Children’s Foundation
Plymouth Shiloh Food Pantry
RESULTS – Ohio
SEM Food Pantry
Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio
Vinton County Help Me Grow
Westland Ecumenical Community Food Pantry
OKLAHOMA
High Flight Arts and Letters
OREGON
American Academy of Pediatrics – Oregon Chapter
Children’s Trust Fund of Oregon
Healthy Families of the Columbia Gorge
Healthy Families of the Klamath County
Insights Teen Parent Services
Lincoln County Health & Human Services, Public Health
Malheur County Health Department
PDX Diaper Bank
ROSE Community Development
TFP Therapeutic Services, Inc.
PENNSYLVANIA
4
Central PA Community Action
Central PA Food Bank
Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley
Community Food Warehouse of Mercer County
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
H&J Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank
Just Harvest
Maternal & Child Health Consortium
New Hope Ministries
PathWays PA
Pennsylvania Council of Churches
PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Second Harvest Food Bank of NW PA
United Way of Chester County
United Way of Greater Hazleton
United Way of Wyoming Valley
West Chester Food Cupboard
Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank
Westmoreland County Food Bank, Inc.
RHODE ISLAND
Project Undercover
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Rhode Island Parent Information Network
Progressive Missionary Baptist Church Food Pantry
Scurry County United Way
Texans Care for Children
Texas Diaper Bank
Wellspring Mental Health
UTAH
American Academy of Pediatrics – Utah
Utahns Against Hunger
VERMONT
Southeastern Vermon Community Action
VIRGINIA
Cornerstones
Hope Charitable Services Greater Hampton Roads Diaper
Bank
Social Action Linking Together (SALT)
Virginia Poverty Law Center
WASHINGTON
Northwest Harvest
WestSide Baby
SOUTH CAROLINA
WEST VIRGINIA
Children’s Trust of SC
SOUTH DAKOTA
Mountaineer Food Bank
Robert C. Byrd Clinic
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
WISCONSIN
TENNESSEE
Feeding Wisconsin
Howe Community Resource Center
Pregnancy Helpline, Inc. of Madison
Sinsinawa Dominican Leadership
United Way Fox Cities
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
X’s and O’s Educational Child Care
Family Promise Knoxville
Nashville Diaper Connection
Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank
TEXAS
Baby Booties Diaper Bank
Bedias Food Pantry
Brazos Church Pantry
The Bridge Ministries
Center for Transforming Lives
Christian Community Services
Consortium of Texas Certified Nurse Midwives
Greater Faith Outreach Corp
Harvest Regional Food Bank
Hutchinson County United Way
National Association for Pediatric Nurses in Advanced
Practice, South Texas Alamo Chapter
National Association of Social Workers – Texas Chapter
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